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Jasper Hart
October 30, 2019
An outstanding budget smartphone that could prove to be the next ‘flagship killer’ – 4.5/5
realme announced that their latest flagship in Madrid last week with the X2 Pro set for release next month. The Shenzhen-based company is looking to expand into Europe and have already garnered 17 million customers worldwide before the release of their latest flagship.
It’s clear that the company is looking to create an alternative to the other absurdly priced smartphones on the market, so how well does it measure up to its competitors?
Well, the phone represents truly great value for money with impressive specs that make it significantly more appealing than higher-priced alternatives.
The flagship looks great with a metallic finish available in either Neptune Blue or Lunar White. The phone comes with a 3D gorilla glass 5 coating and its curved edges make it feel great in-hand despite not being the lightest phone clocking in at 199 grams.
The Quad camera allows the phone to differentiate itself from other smartphones on the market. The X2 Pro dwarfs my iPhone XR and the 1080 x 2400 pixel screen coupled with the 6.5-inch screen size makes it an ideal size for binge-watching or gaming.
The phone was built for gaming as reiterated by realme’s business development director Eloy Fustero at the X2 Pro launch in Madrid last week. We tested popular games like Call of Duty and PUBG and both games looked much more impressive on the X2 Pro than my current iPhone XR.
The phone uses the Snapdragon 855+ chipset which is the same processor that Google and OnePlus use for their latest flagships. However both the Pixel 4 and the 7T retail at a much higher price than the X2 Pro.
Hardware specs
- OS: Android 9.0 (Pie) Processor: Qualcomm SDM855 Snapdragon 855+
- Screen: 6.5-inches
- Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels
- Memory: 6GB RAM, 8GB RAM, 12GB RAM
- Internal Storage: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
- Water Resistance: Splash resistance
- Rear Camera: Quad 64MP ultra-wide
- Front Camera: 16MP
- Video: 2160p 30/60fps, 1080p 30/60/120 fps, 720p 960fps
- Battery: 4000mAh
- Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, 4G, NFP, GPS, USB-C
- Dimensions: 161x 75.7 x 8.7 mm
- Weight: 199g
The performance of the X2 Pro for its price is outstanding. There are no qualms about the X2 Pro’s facial unlock and fingerprint sensor with both functions working very fluidly and quickly. The phone unlocks in 0.23 seconds with the fingerprint scanner.
The phone also impresses with its battery life. The X2 Pro offers a 4000 mAh battery which supports 50W fast-charging and charges fully in just under 35 minutes. Compare this with Google’s latest flagship the Pixel 4 which has a 2800 mAh battery with the XL version having a 3700 mAh battery and it’s clear just how great the value for money is..
Key selling points
- Great price for all the features that the phone offer
- Superfast fingerprint unlock
- Great camera capabilities
- Beautiful looking display
realme worked with National Geographic photographer Aaron Huey to tune the camera and it’s clear the company worked specifically to ensure that the camera was competitive in its market and the X2 Pro’s 64 MP quad-camera is a good performer.
While it has some way to go to catch up to Huawei, the X2 Pro stacks up well against its competitors such as the OnePlus 7T. The four cameras allow for some great snaps and the ultra 64MP and ultra-wide options are welcome additions for a smartphone that costs so little when compared to its competition.
At a glance
- Speed: 4/5
- Camera: 4/5
- Battery: 5/5
- Design: 4/5
- Value: 5/5
The realme X2 Pro is the best value smartphone of the year. It has been dubbed as the newest ‘flagship killer’ and it doesn’t disappoint with an elegant design and some excellent features that will ensure it is taken seriously in the mid-range market. It is no surprise that the company chose to introduce this particular phone to European markets and it will be interesting to see what they have in store for their European consumers in 2020.
Higher-end smartphone vendors will certainly be sweating if audiences flock to buy realme’s newest flagship next month and if sales in India are anything to go by, it may prove to live up to its ‘flagship killer’ potential.